Firm claims racketeering' in Chester parking feud

A long-standing feud regarding the legality of several parking lots near PPL Park in Chester has escalated to claims of racketeering being brought against the city of Chester and the ownership group of the Philadelphia Union.

T.I.B.C. Partners, a Bala Cynwyd-based company that owns and operates several parking lots near the stadium, filed a federal racketeering lawsuit Monday alleging that city officials conspired with the Union to “injure” their parking business so that patrons “would never again” utilize the partners’ parking lots.

The suit named as defendants the city, Police Commissioner Joseph Bail, Mayor John Linder and Keystone Sports and Entertainment, which owns the Philadelphia Union. Other defendants listed included Union Chief Financial Officer David Debusschere, Global Spectrum and Global Spectrum General Manager Michael Scanlon.

T.I.B.C. Partners alleges the defendants conspired to disrupt its business by blockading its parking lots with city-owned trucks, barricades and police tape on various occasions since the start of the 2012 Major League Soccer season. The most recent incident occurred March 15, when the defendants allegedly “imprisoned” patrons by blocking off lot exits at halftime of a Union game.

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The suit claims Bail was employed by Global Spectrum, earning $400 for each event he worked. Bail did not claim the income on his 2012 and 2013 financial statements of interests, a misdemeanor offense. The suit alleges Bail instructed his top three police officers to illegally close the lots owned by T.I.B.C. Partners on five occasions, per the request of stadium officials.

The three other officers also were allegedly employed by Global Spectrum, but they were not listed in the lawsuit.

“We view the case without merit and as being frivolous and we are disappointed that T.I.B.C. has taken this action,” Sakiewicz said. “We have complied 100 percent with every law and building code in constructing PPL Park and the adjacent approved parking lots that we control.”

Bail did not respond to a message seeking comment. A spokeswoman for Linder said the Mayor’s Office could not comment on litigation and directed the inquiry to Solicitor Kenneth Schuster, who did not return a message seeking comment.

Curt Heffler, one of three partners who comprise T.I.B.C. Partners, said they filed a federal lawsuit because they weren’t getting anywhere outside of the courtroom. They seek $303,500 in damages.

“We look forward to a full airing of the events raised in the complaint and ultimately to the resolution of this dispute through the courts,” Heffler said.

The parking squabble dates back to March 2012, when T.I.B.C. Partners reached an agreement with the city permitting it to park cars on 20 parcels of land it purchased in 2011, according to the lawsuit. The parcels compose four parking lots with a total capacity of 1,100 cars.

However, the city — under the direction of Linder and Bail — later issued a cease-and-desist notice 48 hours before a Union game in April 2012, the suit alleges. The notice claimed the lots posed a “significant danger to public safety” because of a lack of sidewalks or other means to segregate pedestrian and motor traffic.

T.I.B.C. Partners appealed the decision and opened its lots. The city then issued a second notice in June 2012, but a court order later lifted the cease-and-desist notice.

T.I.B.C. Partners filed a declaratory judgment action in the Delaware County Court of Common Pleas in October 2012, seeking a final decision on the right to use its properties for parking. The court issued a cease-and-desist order in May 2013 to the city, prohibiting officials from blocking the entrances and exits to the parking lots. A Commonwealth Court judge affirmed that decision in June 2014.

T.I.B.C. Partners seek $100,000 for damaged reputation, $82,500 in management fees, $76,000 in counsel fees and $45,000 in losses for the closed lots.

About the Author

John Kopp is a reporter for the Delaware County Daily Times, who covers state and county politics. Follow him on Twitter @DT_JohnKopp Reach the author at jkopp@delcotimes.com
or follow John on Twitter: @DT_JohnKopp.